Rye eliminates Averill Park in 10 innings

J.S.Carras/The Record Averill Park catcher Chris Arnold tags Rye's Griffin Tutun (15) out at home during fifth inning of N.Y.S. Class A semifinal baseball action Saturday, June 14, 2014 at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, N.Y..

J.S.Carras/The Record Averill Park's Chris Amadon pops out to an inning ending 2-5 double play against Rye during sixth inning of N.Y.S. Class A semifinal baseball action Saturday, June 14, 2014 at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, N.Y..

BINGHAMTON >> Averill Park’s improbable run through the postseason came to an end in the New York State Class A semifinals.

Rye sophomore Chase Pratt delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to eliminate Averill Park, 3-2, Saturday.

“We did have our opportunities to succeed, we just didn’t capitalize. Errors in the field didn’t help either, but fought extremely hard,” said Averill Park Head Coach Jim Kahler. “Still played an amazing game, against a great team, we just couldn’t come out with the win.”

The Warriors started off hot, starting with a walked by John Finelli and a single by James Apple. Sam Beaulic later doubled off the wall to score Finelli, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead

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. Rye was ready to play too, as it started a rally with two singles. Later, an error led to two runs for Rye to strike right back against the Warriors, putting them up 2 to 1.

Fast-forwarding to the ifth, Averill Park third baseman Chris Amadon lead off with a single, to then be pinch run by David Paul. Rye’s sophomore pitcher, George Kirby, thought he could pick Paul off at first, but threw the ball away, as Paul advanced to third on the error. Beaulic came up to bat later in the inning to get his second RBI of the game, tying the score at 2-2.

There was then controversy in the bottom half of the fifth. Rye was threatening with a man on second and first with two outs, when Sam Lubeck hit a hard single up the middle. Rye tried scoring on the play, but Finelli had a different plan. He launched the ball to the plate without a bounce, throwing the runner out by more than a couple steps.

Rye’s shortstop and base runner Griffin Tutun, who is committed to play baseball at Cornell, was surprised to see himself out by so much, resulting in a collision at the plate. The baseball park went in an uproar, some yelling Tutun should be ejected, others saying it’s just the game of baseball. The umps saw no intention of contact, thus no ejections were dealt.

Going into the top of the sixth, Tyler Childrose helped himself out by leading off with a double. After Averill Park advanced both runners with a bunt, the Warriors Park had runners on first and third base with no outs. After an infield pop fly which resulted in an automatic out because of the infield fly rule, Kahler called for a squeeze play. Unfortunately, the bunt went straight up to the catcher and was able to double-off Tyker Childrose at 3rd.

And it would remain a tie game. Not even a serious scoring threat all the way to extras until the bottom of the 10th inning. Lubeck lead off with an infield single, and was able to advance to second on a wild pitch. Later that same at bat, Chase Pratt delivers a walk-off single to deep left center, as they crushed the Warriors title hopes.

Childrose had his usual great game, throwing eight inninga, allowing 2 unearned runs on six hits. He finished with two walks and six strikeouts, earning a no-decision. Childrose battled and stayed focused, ignoring many distractions that were present throughout the game. From fans shouting for balks that didn’t exist, a plate collision, and one of the umpires being shipped out of the game in the ninth because he was also scheduled to work a state final at the same time (he had to come back soon after because of both coaches’ disapproval), it was a mess trying to understand what was going on.

“It wasn’t ideal, but I stayed focused,” said Childrose, “I was only thinking about making the next pitch and getting the next guy out so we could score some runs.”